Ukrainian President Pyotr Poroshenko has come up with an initiative to impose martial law for 30 days instead of 60 days

Ukrainian President Pyotr Poroshenko

KIEV, November 26. /TASS/. Ukrainian President Pyotr Poroshenko has come up with an initiative to impose martial law in the country for a term of 30 days instead of 60 days as planned earlier.

"I would like to read out my decision - I will suggest the parliament impose martial law for a term of 30 days. Why? In order to see to it that martial law does not overlap with the election campaign," he said in an address to the nation on Monday.

According to Poroshenko, the next presidential elections are to be held on March 31, 2019, as originally planned. "So that no one who puts their own political interests above Ukraine’s had no grounds for dirty speculation," he noted.

Apart from that, he said a bill appointing the date of presidential elections will be submitted to the parliament in early December. "Under the constitution, these elections are to be held on March 31, 2019," he stressed.

The Ukrainian president noted that martial law does not mean denial of political and diplomatic efforts to settle the situation in southeastern Ukraine. "Today, I informed our Western partners about that in detail. I can say that their attention to the situation in the east, in particular, to the situation in the Sea of Azov, has considerably increased."

He pledged that no measures restricting people’s rights and freedoms would be taken during the period of martial law.

According to Poroshenko, the next presidential elections are to be held on March 31, 2019, as originally planned.

Poroshenko has declared that he has signed a decree to introduce martial law in Ukraine’s entire territory starting from 09:00 of November 28.

"Several days ago I issued a decree to impose martial law on the whole territory of Ukraine as of 09:00 on November 28," he said in an address to the nation.

The Ukrainian presidential election will not be called off due to a 30-day martial law, he said.

"I will request the parliament declare a 30-day martial law so that it does not delay the launch of the election campaign," he said.

Earlier on Monday, Poroshenko signed a decree declaring a 60-day martial law.